Army marksman wins Double Trap gold in Spain

GRANADA, Spain (Sept. 18, 2014) — Staff Sgt. Josh Richmond captured his second world championship title in Men’s Double Trap with a perfect score during the All-Event International Shooting Sport Federation World Championship.

Also on the line were quota slots for the 2016 Olympics and Richmond’s win guarantees Team USA their first spot for Men’s Double Trap.

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, or USAMU, Soldier and U.S. National Team member surged to second place after shooting a perfect 30-out-of-30 hits in the fifth round, sealing his spot in the finals.

Both Richmond and Italian Antonino Barillà shot perfectly to square off in the gold-medal round. A miss on the sixth set of targets put Barilla behind Richmond by one, but he did not miss another shot, keeping the pressure on throughout the final.

Richmond kept his perfect run going ending with another 30-out-of-30 hits, earning him the World Championship.

“I think anytime you can put a world champion next to your title it’s a great deal,” Richmond said. “I’m hoping to compete in many more and look forward to Rio.”

He said he hadn’t realized what he had shot until his team mate Staff Sgt. Glenn Eller told him.

“You hear athletes talk about being in the zone and you sometimes don’t believe it until you step back from it,” Richmond said. “Those were just one pair at a time, and it’s easier said than done. I just went on autopilot and everything was working.”

The wind at the CEAR de Tiro Olimpico Rey Juan Carlos Range often picks up in the afternoon, and presented a distraction for competitors in the finals.

Richmond said the wind made his eyes water and pushed the gun barrel around.

“I had a lot of distractions, but every time I went to close the gun I told myself, ‘be still, don’t move, see [the targets] come out,’ and went with it,” he said.

U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Soldier Staff Sgt. Josh Richmond congratulates Italian and silver medal winner Antonino Barillà after the gold-medal match. A miss on the sixth set of targets put Barillà behind Richmond, who shot a perfect round. (Army photo)

Richmond earned his first World Champion title after leaving the Junior Category four years ago in Munich, Germany, during the previous All-Event International Shooting Sport Federation World Championship.

“It’s amazing to be back on top,” Richmond said. “The first one that I won was big: a great venue, crowded with people, with a quota spot on the line. The World Championships is always a great match, everybody is out there looking for a quota, and it’s tough. To do it again, four years later, it’s amazing, I would have never guessed it in a million years.”

Olympic Quota slots are awarded to national teams based on wins at qualifying international marksmanship events. U.S. team members will be selected by a national committee prior to the 2016 games.

The U.S. Double Trap Men’s team, consisting of Richmond, Eller and Staff Sgt. Jeff Holguin, took the silver with 422 hits. The Italian team took the gold, tying the team world record with 424.

The U.S. National Team earned a spot in the Double Trap finals in the last 12 International Shooting Sport Federation World Championships. Since 2007, either Eller, Holguin or Richmond have earned an individual medal.